? ? The father of an infant girl remains incarcerated at the Scott County Security Center in Scottsburg after pleading
not guilty to Class B felony charges of battery and neglect of a dependent based on injuries the child has reportedly
experienced.
Roy J. Marlow, 20, was living with the 11-week-old baby and her mother on Red Oak Way in Austin when he was
arrested Friday morning, June 27, by detectives with the Indiana State Police, Sellersburg Post.
Those detectives began an investigation concerning the injured child late the week before after being alerted by
the Scott County Division of Family and Children.
Det. Sean Clemons noted in his probable cause affidavit that he went on June 19 to Kosair Children’s Hospital
to meet with a family case worker with the Department of Child Services. The child had been diagnosed with a
possible skull fracture.
Observing the child, the detective stated that he saw that the right rear portion of her head was “...much larger...”
than the left side. He said he also saw a bruise on the child’s forehead and what appeared to be scratches around her
eyes. There was also a red-colored circular area on the child’s left forearm which he said resembled a bite mark.
Records from Kosair and from Scott Memorial Hospital confirmed that the child did have a skull fracture.
The mother explained that she worked days and the father, Marlow, works nights. The young mother said that on
the afternoon of June 17, she received a call from Marlow. He allegedly told her that the child had rolled off the
couch and struck her head. The young woman said she returned home and saw the bruise on her daughter’s forehead.
She said the couple took the child to Scott Memorial, and an x-ray taken of the child’s head was negative. She was
diagnosed with facial contusions and some bruising by hospital staff.
According to the mother, the couple was instructed to watch for additional swelling and to bring her back if it
occurred.
Shortly before lunch on June 19, the mother said she received a call from her boyfriend, who told her the child’s
head had swelled. She returned home and they again took the child to the hospital.
At that time, they were told the baby had a skull fracture. The mother also told authorities that she thought the
mark on the baby’s forearm was a rash.
In Det. Clemons’ interview with the father, Marlow told him that he had been watching the baby on June 17 but
left the room for a brief time. He heard the baby crying and went back into the livingroom to find the infant on the
floor. He said on June 19 he noticed the swelling, which prompted him to call the mother and return to the hospital
with the child.
Det. Clemons had Marlow re-enact the baby falling from the sofa. He also took the man’s dental impressions after
speaking to a Kosair staff member who said the marks on the child’s arm was from an apparent human bite.
Marlow then told the officer that he “...had not been completely truthful.” He said that the information about the
child falling off the couch was correct but that he had neglected to tell the detective that he had accidentally
dropped the baby in a bathtub on June 19. The child’s head hit the empty tub.
Marlow also allegedly admitted to the officer that he “might” have inflicted the bite mark by biting the child in
an effort to “...get her to quiet down.”
Information from a doctor at Kosair indicated that the child suffered from multiple injuries on various parts of her
body. She described the skull fracture as “significant” and said that the injuries “...are consistent with inflicted injury
due to bruising on multiple planes of her head, indicating multiple blunt force trauma and an adult-inflicted bite
mark.”
Besides the two Class B felonies, Marlow is also charged with Class D felony battery.
During his initial court hearing on Monday, June 30, a not guilty plea was entered for Marlow by Senior Judge
James Kleopfer. His trial date on the charges was scheduled for October 28.
Marlow’s bail was set at $75,000 full cash or corporate surety.
He will be represented by a public defender.